John Raese in 2010 W.V. Senate Debates

Both backed a constitutional amendment requiring the federal budget to be balanced, and both echoed the Republican Party's position of wanting all of the tax cuts passed in 2001 and 2003 extended.
(Neither offered details on how they would balance the budget.)

On Government Reform:
Federal earmarks create career politicians

Millionaire Republican industrialist John Raese complained that federal earmarks create career politicians in a bloated government and indicated he'd be reluctant to pursue public dollars for projects best left to the private sector. "I don't think it's
the best answer for the problems of West Virginia," he said. "I want to bring back the spirit of capitalism--to create the freedom of an individual." Raese argues state economies would be better served by cutting taxes and easing regulations on
business.

But Manchin said states depend on the federal government for key infrastructure like roads, water and sewage lines, and broadband Internet access. Without government, he said, poor, rural states would suffer. "The free enterprise system is
not going to go there. They're only going to go where the market is," Manchin said. "And for all of us to have an opportunity there has to be a partnership. The federal government and state government should be your partner, not your provider."

On Health Care:
ObamaCare is worst bill to ever come out of Congress

Raese declared the health care law "unadulterated socialism" and "the worst bill to ever come out of the United States Senate and House." He referred to the "myth that is global warming." (Manchin was not asked about global warming).

Manchin said he
liked certain parts of the health care legislation, such as its requiring insurance companies to cover people with pre-existing conditions, but he opposed the law requiring individuals to buy insurance and most businesses to cover their employees.

On Health Care:
ObamaCare is pure, unadulterated socialism

They also diverged on federal health care reform, which Raese called "pure, unadulterated socialism; the worst bill that has ever come out of the United States Senate and House." Raese said he would repeal the legislation entirely, complaining that it
supplants what should be doctor-patient relationships with patient-bureaucrat relationships.

Manchin acknowledged problems with the legislation but said there are elements worth keeping, including provisions that prohibit insurers from denying coverage
to people with pre-existing conditions. "There's a lot of good in the bill that Democrats and Republicans can agree on," Manchin said.

Medicare, Social Security and the Children's Health Insurance Program cover the needs of many Americans, Manchin said
but there are others who are denied."A working person today is the one most vulnerable in our society," Manchin said. "If you're getting up every day and going to work, you're probably the most vulnerable part of our society. That has to change."

Manchin claims that Raese's GOP backers called for "hicky" actors to represent West Virginians in a TV ad. In fact, it was the National Republican Senatorial Committee that posted the casting call, not the Raese campaign. However, Raese never apologized
for the offending text.

What perhaps makes the "hicky" insult stick is that Raese seems to many to be only a part-time West Virginian. Raese and his wife, Liz, own a mansion in Palm Beach, Fla. Mrs. Raese and their two daughters spend most of their tim
in Florida. At least one of their daughters attends a private school in Palm Beach.

The Raeses take a $50,000 tax credit on their Palm Beach house that is available only to Fla. permanent residents. It appears they get away with this by having Mrs.
Raese registered as a Fla. resident, while Mr. Raese is registered as W.V. resident.

It is unclear whether Raese pays West Virginia state income tax. The Raeses have thus far refused to make their tax and residency records public.

On Tax Reform:
Make tax cuts permanent, even for earners over $250K

Manchin is a popular governor serving his second term and known even by West Virginians who don't closely follow politics. To overcome that, the Republicans are trying to make the election a referendum on President Barack Obama.
Manchin is banking on his popularity and track record, telling West Virginians to trust he'll be an independent voice.

Raese called the state of the nation's economy "almost catastrophic" and focused heavily on creating a pro-business environment,
saying he would push for less regulation and taxation of corporations. He also advocated making tax cuts for people who earn more than $250,000 permanent, arguing it would stimulate investment.

Manchin, however, said he wouldn't "mess with or increase" taxes during a time of turmoil and touted his own ability to cut taxes by $235 million since he took office.

On Energy & Oil:
Hands-off approach to energy production

Raese has accused Manchin of creating a state "mini cap-and-trade" program by convincing lawmakers last year to pass legislation requiring 25% of the energy used in the state to come from alternative and renewable resources.
Raese said that would result in using less coal, but critics, including those in the coal industry, pointed out a large part of that target can be met by using "clean coal" technologies, such as carbon capture and storage. Regardless,
Raese said the federal government should take a hands-off approach to energy production. "We are the only country that legislates through laws to keep our natural resources in the ground," he said. "I find that fascinating."

Manchin also was highly critical of attempts by the Obama administration to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, saying the path it was taking wasn't going to solve the problem.

As for stimulating the economy and getting back to work, both candidates favored a free-market approached as opposed to government taking a leading role in job creation. Raese was critical of the economic stimulus package passed by
Congress, comparing it to the New Deal of the Great Depression.

Both men called for a balanced budget amendment that would require Congress to balance the nation's books every year and not run up debt.

Neither candidate provided details about how they propose balancing a multi-trillion-dollar budget, but Raese said he favors giving presidents line-item veto power--something that
Byrd staunchly opposed. Manchin said the only time the amendment should be suspended was during war or a national emergency.

Source: State Journal coverage of 2010 W.V. Senate debate
Oct 7, 2010

On Government Reform:
Earmarks are taxation without representation

Manchin and Raese are seeking a seat that has for more than 50 years by a politician famous--critics would say infamous--for directing billions of dollars to West Virginia in budget earmarks, also known as "pork-barrel spending."

Asked whether they would continue Byrd's tradition,
Raese indicated he would not, calling earmarks taxation without representation. "That is something that career politicians are very effective at," he said. "It services them, but it doesn't service
Americans."

Manchin said he suspended earmarking at a state legislative level when he first took office as governor. He said earmarking was one reason why there needed to be a balanced budget amendment.

Source: State Journal coverage of 2010 W.V. Senate debate
Oct 7, 2010

On Principles & Values:
No rubber stamp for the Obama administration

Both Manchin and Raese called for a federal balanced budget amendment, criticized Pres. Obama for his administration's proposed regulations of the coal energy and advocated repealing most parts of federal health care reform.

Raese claims Manchin
would be a "rubber stamp" for the administration. Manchin said it is his duty as the state's governor to work with the president.

The Obama administration's pursuit of a cap-and-trade policy for greenhouse gases has not gone over well in coal country.